Sheffield Sharks season begins with optimism of contending for honours

Richard Fidler
Basketball

Published:07:13Friday 21 September 2012

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SHEFFIELD Sharks are targeting silverware this season as they begin their BBL Championship campaign tonight against Leicester Riders at the EIS (7.30pm).

With several new faces in the squad, including American guard duo Gage Daye and Micah Williams, coach AtibaLyons admits that he is still in the process of rebuilding his team after their seventh place finish last year: “Pre-season has been short but sweet. It’s always hard cramming a whole playbook and principles in one and a half weeks.

“We are one American spot short. Nashid Beard is no longer with us he just didn’t exactly fit what I was looking to do this year. He is a great guy and a good player and I wish him the best of luck.

“My realistic goal for the season is to be a contender for silverware.”

With so many new players coming into the BBL Lyons has focused his efforts on the Sharks.

He said: “I’ve been more worried about setting up my team than the Riders. They’ll be a good team who want to get up and down the floor.”

The Riders too have overhauled their squad, but managed to retain the services of Great Britain international Andrew Sullivan.

The veteran, who performed well at the Olympic Games this summer for the national team, admitted he knows little about the Sharks: “Until we get the scouting report I don’t know too much about them, but I expect they will have a good team.

“I’m not really concerned about who we’re playing, my job is to make sure we’re ready as a team and that we’ve got a good chemistry.”